According to the Cologne Institute for Economic Research, Germany and Denmark pay the highest electricity costs in Europe. These are the two countries that have most enthusiastically embraced wind and solar energy. Denmark claims to get close to 40 percent of its electricity from wind and Germany, of course, is undergoing an “energiewende” away from nuclear and toward complete reliance on wind and solar energy (with a little detour into coal along the way). France, the country that has built the largest nuclear component, has the cheapest electrical costs next to Greece, where economic difficulties have cheapened everything. Finland, the UK and Sweden also have large nuclear components.

“Germany’s subsidizes renewables to the tune of about $16 billion per year, an innovation that comes at a cost to consumers and industry,” report RT, a European publication. “After her party’s election victory (link) Merkel said she and her cabinet would be reviewing the country’s subsidy program.”